1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to birds and waterfowl and, more particularly, to a humane way of killing a bird.
Countless numbers of birds are killed by people everyday, most commonly for food. Chickens, ducks, geese, game birds, and other types of birds including waterfowl are either raised for human consumption or are killed by hunters. A quick, and therefore humane, economical way of killing birds is desired that an individual who, on such occasion, may use. Even the farmer who must kill an occasional chicken for dinner desires a clean and merciful way to accomplish the task.
Waterfowl hunters share a common experience of shooting and dropping their intended quarry, which can include Widgeon, Pintail, Mallard, Wood and other ducks as well as Canada, Snow, Speckle Belly or other types of geese. Often, the birds are not instantly killed by the wounds they receive by gunshot.
After fetching the birds, the hunter may then commonly “ring” the bird's neck (i.e., twist the neck) in order to kill them. The hunters then place the presumed “dead” birds near them in a blind while they continue to hunt until the maximum limit is obtained or until they run out of time or light.
However, quite often the presumed “dead” birds are still able to slowly move their feet and legs sufficient to leave the blind. If the “dead” bird makes its way into the nearby water, it will instinctively swim away until it finally succumbs and drowns. Many birds have been lost because of these types of instinctual reflex reactions that keep them moving or because a hunter has assumed the bird was dead and immobile when, in fact, it was not.
Edible game is thereby often wasted in this manner. Also, the “dead” or dying bird may be forced to experience a protracted and somewhat inhumane death. The hunter, busy in his blind, cannot detract himself from his future quarry for a lengthy period of time to ascertain that his present kill is really dead and immobile. A way to quickly and humanely kill a bird is required.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a device that can quickly kill a bird. There is, therefore, a need for a crushing device for a bird's head that helps ameliorate the above-mentioned difficulties.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Commercial methods of killing animals are, in general, known. While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have certain similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.